Production of viscous oils



Patented July 3, 1934 PRODUCTION OF viscous OILS Mathias Pier, August Eisenhut, and Otto Eisen-,

hut, Heidelberg, Germany, assignors to I. G. Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft, Frankforton-the-Main, Germany, a corporation of Germany No Drawing.

Application September 6, 1928,

Serial No. 304,382. In Germany September 28,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of lubricating and insulating oils by treatment of oils,'of any kind, which contain hydrocarbons, with high frequency electric currents.

5 A process has already been proposed for the production of viscous oils from substances of the nature of coal, tars, mineral oils and the like, in which the initial materials when solid are subjected to extraction or destructive hydrogenation, l0 and when liquid to destructive hydrogenation or cracking, and thensubsequently to a high frequency treatment with or without the addition of catalysts.

We have now found that viscous products may be obtained in a particularly advantageous manner from hydrocarbon oils from any source, by treatment in the liquid phase with high frequency electric currents, preferably high tension currents, when the treatment is carried out in the presence of added finely divided solid carbonaceous materials such as powdered brown coal, powdered mineral coal, finely divided wood charcoal, colloidal or pulverulent metals, metal oxides, or coal ash or the like dispersed in the said oils 25.3 under treatment. The said additions apparently have a catalytic action, since the viscosity of the materials under treatment is increased in a much shorter time than without the said additions. Products of greatly improved quality are also usually obtained by the said treatment. The

above results are obtained even by the incorporation of very small amounts of said additions in the parent hydrocarbon oils. from one to five per cent of powdered coal'will usually sufiice. In any event, amounts of the said additions which would render the oil under treatment conductive should not be employed.

The process may, for example, be carried out with an alternation number of 500 (=250 pe- 40 riods), but if desired, much higher frequencies,

for example 2000 periods or more, may be employed with advantage.

The tension is adjusted according to the nature of the product desired, and the kind of apparatus employed. For example the treatment may be carried out in a Voltol apparatus with a tension of about 2000 volts. When using ozonizing tubes 4000 volts or more, for example 10,000 or 12,000 volts may be employed.

The advantage of the present process consists in particular in an appreciable reduction in the time of reaction.

The following examples will further illustrate how the invention may be carried into practical An addition of (Cl. 204r-31) efiect but the invention is not restricted to these examples.v

Example 1 A middle oil, prepared by destructive hydrogenation of crude oil from Elwerath, and of a boiling point range of 200C. to 300C, is sub-.

jected to a glow discharge of a tension of 2500 volts and of 2000 periods, in an atmosphere of an inert gas, for example of hydrogen in a Voltol apparatus and in the presence of about 2 per cent by weight of powdered brown coal as a suspension in the oil. The viscosity of the oil increases in a much shorter time of treatment than when operating under the same conditions but without the addition of brown coal. The economy in time amounts to 30 to 50 per cent. A valuable lubricating oil of suitable fiashpoint and viscosity is obtained.

Example 2 A distillate, obtained from crude oil from Elwerath and having a boiling point between 185 and 250C. and of quite low viscosity (1.1 Engler at 20C.) to which about 2 per cent of powdered wood charcoal has been added is subjected to a high tension glow discharge in an ozonizing tube. A valuable product having a viscosity of 111 Engler at 20C., 13 Engler at 50C., 2.3 Engler at 100C. and a suitable fiashpoint and tar number is obtained from the mixture thus treated by centrifuging or filtering 011 the powdered wood charcoal.

What we claim is:

1. Process for converting hydrocarbon oils into lubricating and insulating oils which comprises subjecting said oils, in the liquid state and in the presence of substantial quantities of added finely divided substances selected from the group consisting of finely divided solid carbonaceous materials, colloidal and pulverulent metals and metal oxides dispersed in the oils under treatment, to the action of a glow discharge the quantity of the added finely divided substances being such that the oils under treatment do not become electrically conductive. Q

2. Process for converting hydrocarbon oils into lubricating and insulating oils which comprises subjecting said oils, in the liquid state and in the presence of about 1 to 5% of finely divided substances selected from the group consisting of finely divided solid carbonaceous materials, colloidal and pulverulent metals and metal-oxides dispersed in the oils under treatment, to the action of a. glow discharge.

3. Process for converting hydrocarbon oils to subjecting said middle oil to a glow discharge in an atmosphere of hydrogen and in the presence of from 1 to 5% of finely powdered brown coal suspended in said oil, said discharge being induced by a current of .2500 volts and a frequency of 2000 periods.

MATHIAS PIER.

AUGUS'I. EISENHUT.- O'I'I'O EISENHUT. 

